Extension available to certain employers for compliance with new Massachusetts Sick time Law

Extension available to certain employers for compliance with new Massachusetts Sick time Law

CLIENT ALERT

May 18, 2015

Extension available to certain employers for compliance with new Massachusetts Sick Time Law

Employers who currently offer sick leave to their employees may now have an additional six months to comply with the provisions of the new Massachusetts sick time law. The original effective date of the law was July 1, 2015, but employers who qualify for the extension have until January 1, 2016 to implement the new law. To qualify, the employer must have had as of May 1, 2015 a paid time off policy that provides employees with the right to use at least 30 hours of paid time off from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. By July 1, 2015, paid time off must be provided to all employees, including part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers. Employers may provide proportional amounts of paid time off to part-time employees and employees hired after July 1, 2015. The paid time off must be job-protected and subject to the new law’s non-retaliation and non-interference provisions.

Employers who did not maintain a paid time off policy as of May 1, 2015 do not qualify for the extension, and must comply with the new law by the original effective date of July 1, 2015.

The extension is being made available because regulations that address ambiguities in the new law are scheduled to be finalized only days before the original July 1, 2015 effective date. (For an overview of the proposed regulations, see CHM CLIENT ALERT: Attorney General Issues Proposed Regulations to New Sick Leave Law.)

If you would like to speak to someone about implementing the new sick time law, please contact Diane DeGiacomo, Chair of our Employment Law Group.